I’m coming up for air after finishing a large literary project and will (hopefully) have time to blog a little more again. During these past two weekends, I attended two conferences. The first was the Queens Book Festival, held at Kaufman Astoria Studios in Astoria, Queens. Moderator Jennifer Marie Brissett did a great job herding us, the panelists Steve Vera, Elizabeth Crowens, and myself. The panel was supposed to begin at 11 am, but as this was the first-annual Queens Book Festival there were a few bumps and they didn’t start letting people in until 11:40 or so. But this was a non-issue for moderator Jennifer, who vamped like a pro. We spoke about our geek influences and favorite books, TV shows, and films to a small group until the audience arrived, totaling around 50-60 people. We spoke about where we would like to see the SF field head and took some good questions from the audience. After, I wandered around the many publisher booths and bought a book called Necessary Evil by Kareem Hayes, a fictionalized version of her former life in prison. I haven’t read it yet, but it seems fascinating. Despite the bright sun, I had a great time and would definitely do the festival again.

Then tis past weekend I participated in the Writer’s Digest Conference, held at the Hilton Hotel on 53rd Street & 6th Avenue in Manhattan. Saturday night I signed books with David Mack, well known for his many Star Trek novels, and author Grady Hendrix, author of Horrorstor and My Best Friend’s Exorcism. We had a lot of fun just talking geek for a couple of hours as people came to check us out and have books signed. Then, Sunday, I was on a panel called “The Art and Science of Worldbuilding in Science Fiction and Fantasy.” Moderated by Tor editor Diana Gill, this panel included David Mack, Elizabeth Crowens, Jeff Somers, and Debbie Dadey, and I have to say was one of the most enjoyable panels I’ve ever done. All the panelists had intelligent things to say, Diana Gill did a superb job moderating, and the audience asked excellent questions that kept us all on our toes, in a good way. You could really feel the energy in the room.

I finished off the conference by listening to Emily St. John Mandel, author of Station Eleven, give the closing keynote speech. Despite her great success, her authenticity and humility shone through her speech, and I was definitely impressed by her (and her novel, which is brilliant). All in all, it’s been a busy, but rewarding couple of weeks, and I’m looking forward to showing you all the fiction I’ve been working so hard on soon.

In August I’ll be appearing at the Queens Book Festival and the Writer’s Digest Conference. Hope you can come by to watch the panels, get your book signed, or just to say hi!

Queens Book Festival

Sunday, August 7th, Marquee Stage, 11:00 A.M.The umbrella genre of speculative fiction, including science fiction and fantasy, has gained a broader popularity over the last decade and has opened the door for authors of various backgrounds to write their own stories more reflective of their worlds. In this panel, authors will discuss their visions for the future of speculative fiction, and how broadening the scope of the genre and engaging with various communities better enriches on the world. Moderated by Jennifer Marie Brissett, with panelists Elizabeth Crowens, Carlos Hernandez, Matthew Kressel, and Steve W Vera.

Writer’s Digest Conference

Saturday, August 13, Mass Autographing Session, 6:30 – 8:00 P.M.I’ll be here signing books. I’ll also have copies of King of Shards on hand.

Sunday, August 14th, 10:15 – 11:15 A.M., The Art (and Science) of Worldbuilding in Science Fiction and FantasyWriting speculative fiction requires a level of imaginative thinking unmatched by other genres. And yet, it’s not simply a matter of wild creativity. The people, places, environments, political systems, flora and fauna must all adhere to an internal logic, being both fantastic, yet believable at the same time. In this panel, we’ll examine what special considerations are required when writing superior fantastic fiction and how to address those considerations properly, without limiting the power, impact, or pace of your story. (Panelists Elizabeth Bear, Debbie Dadey and Matthew Kressel).

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In Memory of a Summer’s Day

Mad Hatters and March Hares, the Alice in Wonderland-themed anthology by Ellen Datlow is just out. It contains my story “In Memory of a Summer’s Day,” and also has work by Seanan McGuire, Catherynne M. Valente, Stephen Graham Jones, Genevieve Valentine, Rick Bowes, Kris Dikeman, and many others.

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Sunray Computer

In addition to writing science fiction & fantasy, I maintain a living by working as a freelance developer, system administrator, and graphic designer. If you need a new website, IT services for your business, or a graphic designer, I’m your man.

More info about my services can be found at my business site, Sunray Computer.